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A row has erupted at one of Britain’s biggest pub companies after its third-largest shareholder called for the chairman to step down amid allegations of a boardroom gender bias.

Fund management titan Aberdeen Standard has attacked Mitchells & Butlers, the owner of chains including Harvester, All Bar One and Toby Carvery, for failing to put more women on its board and questioning the independence of its non-executive directors.

Deborah Gilshan, investment director of Aberdeen Standard, said: “In our view, board independence has deteriorated significantly, and demonstrably so. In addition, board diversity in relation to gender has not improved as there remains only one female non-executive director.”...